‘Dancing With the Stars’ Announces Major Changes Following UK Scandal

In light of the recent scandal surrounding the UK’s Strictly Come Dancing, the American counterpart, Dancing With the Stars, is implementing new safety measures for its participants. This action follows the exit of a pro dancer from the UK show after admitting to kicking his partner, Love Island contestant Zara McDermott, an incident described by the spokesperson for Graziano Di Prima as “gross misconduct.” The spokesperson asserted, “There is never a time when kicking, or any sense of that is right,” and added that rehearsals can be “intense.” He acknowledged Di Prima’s mistake, noting that the dancer had apologized at the time.

Zara McDermott expressed her distress over the incident on social media, explaining that watching the videos was “incredibly distressing.” On Instagram, she wrote about her fears of opening up about the event, which included concerns over public backlash, her future, and potential victim shaming. After many discussions with her loved ones, she found the strength to face these fears and candidly shared her experience with the BBC.

Following the incident, the BBC has introduced several new safety measures to protect the contestants on Strictly Come Dancing. These measures include a welfare producer for each contestant, having a team member present in the training room during rehearsals, and more thorough training for the production team and crew members. Inspired by these changes, Dancing With the Stars is considering similar enhancements to its already strong safeguarding processes.

According to Deadline, the U.S. show plans to expand its safety protocols in line with the new measures introduced by the BBC. BBC Studios emphasized that these new measures in the UK will lead to ongoing discussions around the international versions of the show, ensuring the safety and well-being of all participants.